The Cracks in a Soul
by MilesAboveFantasy
Summary: Drew is enjoying his new job as Mr. H's assistant. After his boss asks him to watch his kids for the weekend, Drew is eager to prove himself. Things are going well, short of Miles' negative attitude, until the power goes out... and that is only the beginning of their nightmare. Set sometime before 3x22. Halloween fic!
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

It was a stormy day in January as Drew watched his boss and his wife leave for their anniversary weekend. After seeing them off, he returned to the living room and gave his hands a determined clap as he found all three of the Hollingsworth children.

"Alright, kiddos," he said kindly. "I just saw your parents off and it's just us for the weekend.

He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes as he heard Miles scoff with his mocking mimicry of "kiddos." Instead, Drew played the responsible adult that he strived to be.

"So, I guess we should get to know each other?" Drew asked. He had only been working for Mr. Hollingsworth for two weeks now, and he didn't know any of his children well. It was odd that he had been asked to babysit, but he wasn't going to turn down the chance to prove himself.

"I know Miles from school, so why don't the two of you tell me about yourself?" he suggested. He watched as Hunter and Frankie shifted in their seats next to each other on the couch.

Frankie spoke first. "We go to school with you too." Hunter chuckled softly next to her.

"Yes, I knew that, but neither of you make as big of a name for yourself as Miles does."

"The one and only," Miles bragged.

"Except for your dad," Drew corrected as he wagged a finger at Miles. Miles huffed and threw his weight back on the chair he was sitting in. It didn't make Drew happy to have to stir the pot and chastise Miles so soon, but he knew that sooner or later he would have to show Miles who's boss. Might as well be something as simple as smothering his pride a bit.

Drew turned back to the twins and considered what he knew about them. Not much, really. Mr. H's dossier on his children was scarce, though it did fit with the image he heard at school about him being a distant father. Frankie, the perfect daughter; Hunter, the quiet son; and Miles, the ever present trouble maker. Drew could tell from the dark glare frothing from Miles' eyes that he was peeved at having to have a babysitter. The thought reinforced Drew's own from a moment ago. It didn't make much sense that he was asked to babysit, but Mr. H asked him to, so he would. He was the new Drew Torres.

He looked at Frankie, expecting her to be the one to break the ice. She pursed her lips before speaking.

"Well, I like dancing and fashion - you know, the same things that Zoë likes."

Drew tilted his head in mild shock before it dawned on him. Frankie was one of Zoë's friends. He knew that in a way, but now it explained a lot of the coldness Frankie directed at him when he was working with Mr. H.

"I like video games and the arcane," Hunter interjected, speaking quickly. He was short of words like his sister, although Drew detected none of the hostility. In fact, it looked like he wanted to get his introduction out of the way short and quick.

Drew nodded, accepting his response. It had been the most friendly introduction of all the Hollingsworth children. He wondered if he would have gotten along with the other two if not for Zoë; however, that was in the past now. So he just nodded and did his introduction

"I like sports and some gaming, and working with your dad of course."

Miles let loose a sardonic laugh. "Really laying it on thick there, aren't ya?"

"Just trying to be friendly. We have the entire weekend together. Hopefully it won't kill you to behave, Miles."

Miles hissed, and stood up to leave. "Well, I'm going to my room to game, let me know when din-" His words were cut short as a crack of thunder tore through the air, and the blinding light from outside came in through the window like gunfire.

Frankie screamed and was half of top of Hunter with fear. Drew couldn't blame her. The thunder had been frightening. His skin was still tingling from the shock and his neck throbbing from the sharp twist from looking at the window.

Drew took a deep breath to calm his palpitating heart and looked to Miles who was frozen mid-step.

Miles placed his foot down and turned around with a sigh. "I'll stay. Frankie hates storms."

Drew looked to Frankie who was still shivering in Hunter's arms. He could tell from the look in Hunter's eyes that he was halfway between wanting to throw his sister off and holding her tighter. In a way, Drew was shocked to see how supportive the kids were of each other. Impressed even. Before today, he had never seen them interact besides yelling at each other from halfway across the house. In hindsight, it wasn't that surprising. He and Adam would have appeared the same way to outsiders, but between the two of them, there had never been closer brothers.

"You going to be okay?" Drew asked.

"Yeah," Frankie mumbled. "I just hate thunder."

Drew heard a thump as Miles threw himself on the couch. _At least he's behaving,_ Drew thought as he approached the glass door that lead to the outside patio. The rain had picked up since he saw Mr. H off 5 minutes ago, and now the downpour truly was worthy of that impressive crack of thunder. The glass was cold to the touch, not that he expected much more from the middle of January.

Another roar of thunder rattled the room; unfortunately, Drew wasn't able to close his eyes before the blinding lightning met them. He turned away blinking back a multitude of colors.

"It really is pouring out there," he said. "We might lose power. Mind finding us some candles Miles? Some that you mom won't mind us lightning that is. We don't want her to kill us for destroying the fancy ones."

"Got it," Miles muttered. Displeased, though at least he was behaving.

"So, I'm thinking we should order pizza, since the power may go out. Sound good?" Drew asked the group.

"Yes!" Frankie exclaimed. Hunter was nodding vigorously as well.

Drew was happy to see the younger kids so enthralled by pizza. It was the secret of life after all. However, he had to hold his tongue at Miles' response.

"What a dumb question," Miles chastised as he placed an armful of candles onto the coffee table. "Everyone loves pizza."

"Yes, Miles, that is why I suggested it. I'll be in the kitchen," he said, leaving before Miles could pull more sass.

He pulled his phone out and called his favorite pizza place, hoping that they would be able to deliver in this weather. He fiddled through the cabinet and pulled out four plates, and wondered if he would have to wash them later. Did the Hollingsworth's have a maid? He decided it wasn't a big deal and refocused his attention on the phone call. He checked the fridge to see if they had any drinks, only to be disappointed, and added two 2-liter Pepsis to his order. He was looking for the glasses when the lights left the room.

 _Oh great. At least Frankie isn't screaming,_ he thought as he returned to the living room.

"Everyone okay?" he asked. He received a chorus of affirmatives from the twins, and Miles' answer was his face being lit in an orange glow.

"I always carry my lighter," Miles said proudly as he lit several small candles and passed them out. Afterward, he lit several larger ones and placed them on the table.

The room was lit mainly by candles now as the scant light of the setting sun barely got through the deluge outside. The lightning did little to illuminate the room and accomplished only assisting the cracks of thunder in making them jump out of their skin.

After a few minutes of silence, Drew gave up hope of the power coming back on anytime soon. "So, the pizza will be here in about 40 minutes. What should we do to pass the time? Not as if any of us want to be alone in the dark."

"Cards?" Frankie suggested.

"I could stand to win some poker," Miles chimed in.

"In your dreams!" Drew retorted. "I'm a pro."

"Always up for a challenge, not that I'm sure you'll be one," Miles teased. "Hunter, do you have any cards?" Miles asked.

"No," Hunter replied, but then his eyes lit up. "I have a better idea though." With that, he picked up a candle and dashed out of the room.

"Be careful," Drew called after him. It would not bode well for his job if Hunter were to injure himself in the dark, or drop the candle and burn the house on. At least the rain would make the second unlikely.

Hunter arrived back a few moments later with a stupid grin on his face. Drew had never seen the usually withdrawn kid so happy. He held up an object that caused Frankie to groan.

"Definitely not cards," Miles commented.

"What is it?" Drew asked.

"A Ouija board," Hunter grinned.

"Oh..." Drew trailed off. That was not what he was expecting. "Why do you have that?"

"I wanted one for Christmas," Hunter explained. "Look at it, it's so fancy. And the lettering is so intricate and authentic. Supposedly this has been used by a real psychic, and isn't cheap and pathetic plastic like one you would buy at a store."

"Got it," Drew acknowledged, taking Hunter's word for it. It was too dark to make out any of the details he described. The board was lit only by candle light which added a sinister look to it that made him a bit queasy. He reached out his hand. "May I?"

After Hunter passed it to him, he brushed his hands gently over it. "It does feel quite nice."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Frankie said.

"It's fake," Hunter deadpanned.

"Still..."

"Come on, Franks. It'll be fun. Well, at least more than sitting in the dark," Miles goaded. "Hunter has been begging us for months anyway."

Drew sighed as Frankie looked to him. He held his hands up. "I'm indifferent, honestly, but two beats one."

Frankie groaned, and then consented. Hunter took it upon himself to clear the coffee table of all except for the candles. He placed the Ouija board in the now cleared space, and spread five of the small candles around the board. "For style," he said. "The semblance to a pentagram is purely for fun. Be careful not to catch your sleeves on fire."

Drew got on his knees next to the table. "So, what do we do?"

Hunter pulled a white thing out of his pocket. "It's like you see on TV. We all put our hands on it and call for the spirits to guide us."

Drew nodded, not really buying it and expecting this to be a little more like TV than Hunter thought it would be. He followed Hunter's lead and placed two fingers over Hunter's, only to be followed by Miles' and then Frankie's.

"So, we're really doing this?" Frankie asked.

Her answer was their hands moving a bit.

"Hunter!"

Hunter blinked, slight shock on his own face. "Wasn't me."

"It had to be. Your hand is on bottom."

Hunter's eyes twinkled. "It's working," he said in awe.

"So, now what?" Miles asked.

"We call the spirits."

"How?" Drew wondered.

Hunter took a moment to contemplate that question. "Typically, you would call out to someone you know that has died. I don't know anyone that matches that description exactly though."

"None of us do," Frankie added. "I don't think we know anyone who has died."

"I think I know someone," Miles said. He had a devious smirk on his face directed at him, and that made Drew's stomach twist. "Hey, Drew, don't you know someone?"

Drew took a deep breath. "Yeah, my brother died this year."

Frankie glared at Miles before turning to Drew. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

Drew shook his head. "No, it's fine. I am at peace... and on the off chance that this works, I would love to hear from him again."

"Okay," Hunter said. "Take control of the ritual. Call out to your brother."

"Umm... Adam, you out there?"

Hunter sighed.

"Even I knew that wouldn't work," Miles chimed.

"Try this," Hunter suggested. "Oh, spirit of the dead. Come to me Adam, speak to me."

"I'll try," Drew muttered. "Oh, spirit of the dead," he said with as much earnestness as he could muster. "Come to me, Adam. Speak to me."

A cold gust passed through the room and the candles snuffed out as one.

"Whoa," they all said as one.

"Did it get like really cold for anyone else," Miles asked.

"Yeah," Frankie said, voice shaking along with the shivers of her body.

"I... I can't move my hand off the board," Miles cried. "Hunter, do something!"

"I-I..." Hunter stuttered.

Drew's heart was beating wildly. He couldn't move his hand either. His fingers were being held down by the near weightlessness of Miles' and Frankie's fingers, but he couldn't move his own.

He thought he saw fear in Miles' eyes as the younger boy retrieved his lighter from his pants with his free hand and lit the room. By the time the room was lit, Miles had composed himself.

"Light some candles again," Drew suggest. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah," Frankie muttered, her face visibly showing relief as Miles lit the candles.

"G-guys," Hunter exclaimed. "The board..."

The board was shaking, and suddenly, Drew's hand was moving.

"What's it saying?" Frankie cried.

"D-R-E-W," Hunter read out loud. "Drew." Their hands didn't stop moving, and Drew could see the struggle on Hunter's face as he tried to keep up with the letters and piece them together.

"S-stop," Hunter stuttered as he put the words together.

"T-urn. Back. Turn back."

"No. No. No. No."

"NO!" They all jumped from their seats as they heard that word shouted throughout the room. Drew's heart stopped beating. That voice... he couldn't even be relieved that his hand was now his own again.

"Was that him?" Miles asked, voice broken and trembling.

"It was," Drew said slowly. "Adam? Adam!?"

"Too late," Hunter said. Drew was about to ask what he meant, but the boy was still attached to the Ouija board.

 _Too late? Too late for what?_ Drew wondered. He gripped his hand to his chest. It felt like a phantom limb, and he was just happy to have it back.

"So cold," Miles murmured.

Drew was about to agree before being interrupted by a loud roar outside. That sent a new chill down his spine. The roar was something between a lion and a banshee, and he could feel the roar itself plucking his heart out of his chest.

"What type of fucked up game are you playing, Hunter?" Miles yelled.

"N-nothing," Hunter stammered. He pulled a shaking Frankie into his arms.

Frankie screamed, and Drew felt his bones rattle as a loud thump tore through the house. It was coming from the front door... did he lock it earlier?

Drew stood up and went to the patio door that he had looked out of earlier. It had been maybe ten minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. Adam. He had heard from Adam...

Outside was different now. He could still see a faint outline of the patio, other wings of the Hollingsworth manor, and the pool, but there was no rain. The sky held only swirling, unnatural darkness that threatened to devour his soul from his body. He touched the glass, and what was once only cold now felt like the void of existence. Ice started to spread across the glass from where his finger touched it.

This was all wrong. His heart told him that this was all unnatural and that he needed to do something quick.

The thump tore through the house again, only this time it was accompanied by the cracking of wood.

"Guys," Drew said. "We need to get out of here."

"The pool house?" Miles suggested.

"No, I... don't think outside is safe," Drew said. He heard his voice break, and brushed it aside. None of them were at their best.

"There could be a killer at the door," Frankie cried.

"We need to hide or something," Drew said. He could only hope that whatever it was only wanted to kill them. His eyes wandered to Hunter who hadn't spoken in a while. "Hunter, are you okay?"

"I-I should never have asked for that Ouija board."

"No time for that, Hunter," Drew said. "Miles, where is the best place to hide?"

"My room is good," Miles answered, voice trembling a little worse than it had a minute ago. "Defensible doorway, bathroom, and massive closet."

"We can't hide upstairs," Frankie said. "That would trap us."

"Yeah," Drew said as he and Miles picked up as many candles as they could safely hold - small ones between their fingers and big ones in their palms. "But we're white, and the movies tell us to run upstairs," he added as he led the way out of the living room and into the main hall. He stopped to make sure that all three of his charges were behind him. Frankie had grabbed a few more candles and Hunter held the Ouija board.

They passed the front door on their way to the main staircase. Whatever was out there chose that moment to bang on the door again, causing all of them to scream as broken wood shrapnel shot forth from the now cracked door.

Drew ushered them all up the stairs. They screamed with fresh fear as the next thump was so fierce that the sound of shattering wood filled the house, and they were at the top of the stairs when they heard the door break into pieces. What was left of it hit the floor with a plop. Drew watched as the kids ran forward, and swallowed the lump in his throat. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to look over the banister at the top of the staircase and down at the broken door. What he saw changed his life forever.

He turned away and hid behind the wall before the creature could see him. His heart froze along with his body, and he had to force air into his lungs. He didn't even want to think about what he just saw.

He nearly died then and there from a heart attack as Miles gripped his arm.

"Are you okay?" Miles asked, pulling Drew along down the hall. Drew studied the younger boy's face. He had never seen Miles so concerned... or was it fear? Emotions were a mess right now.

Drew shook his head before speaking. "No," he whispered. Could that thing hear them? "We need to hide, now!" He shuddered and it pained him to see the fear his actions caused Miles.

"I saw it, Miles. I saw it."

* * *

I hope that you are intrigued! This story has been so much fun to write!

You can find the floor plan I created for the Hollingsworth's home on my Tumblr.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

The ice was climbing up the window and the glass beneath his fingers was impossibly cold. Drew could see the pool from Miles' window, but the sight unsettled him in a way he couldn't describe. It wasn't something that he could fathom exactly, but the pool sent fear into his heart along with the phantom outlines of the Hollingsworth's home and the black, viscous swirls of air that seemed almost alive.

Drew backed away from the window and turned to Miles who was sitting on his bed. "Good thinking back there," Drew said.

Miles nodded. "My room was the obvious one. First, it's mine," he elaborated. "Second, there is an alcove which makes the door easy to barricade," he added, pointing to the desk and dressers that they used to block the door. "The closet and bathroom were a bonus."

Drew acknowledged Miles' reasoning, and then walked over to the closet where he found Hunter and Frankie huddled on the floor and swaddled in blankets. It was lucky that Miles' closet was so massive and that their mother stored all of their extra blankets in it. If whatever that monster was got into Miles' room, they had one last place to bunker up. Plus, it was freezing and the blankets were a godsend in whatever frozen hell they were living through. Ever since the candles went out, it had been unbearably cold.

"You two doing okay?" Drew asked. He grabbed a blanket from a shelf and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"We're fine," Frankie answered for them.

Hunter shook his head.

"What's wrong Hunter?" Drew asked. He heard Miles walk up behind him, and he picked up another blanket to hand to Miles. "Keep warm."

Miles nodded as he took the blanket. "Yeah. Hunter, what's wrong?"

Hunter shook his head. "It's all my fault."

"Hunter!" Frankie chastised.

"You didn't even want to do it."

"We all agreed to it though," Miles consoled. "It's more my fault than anyone's."

"It was no one's fault," Drew stated. "We don't even know what is happening exactly."

"There's something out there," Hunter stated.

"We don't know that," Drew lied, rubbing a hand over his mouth to hide his disbelief. "It was probably just the thunder."

"If you listen, you can hear the footsteps," Hunter whispered.

"When?" Drew asked.

Miles shushed him, and Drew listened. He heard the sound of all of them breathing, shuddering and fearful, and the sound of sheer absence outside. And then he heard it. A soft thump on the floor that was both barely noticeable yet shaking the whole house. It wasn't rhythmic, but he knew they were footsteps…. And the irregularities of it was further proof that whatever was in the house wasn't human.

"I hear it…" Drew said slowly. "Are your phones still dead?"

"Entirely," Frankie said. "Nothing electronic seems to be working."

Drew nodded. "Just try to get some sleep. We'll figure something out."

"We won't be able to sleep," Frankie muttered.

"Yeah," Drew acknowledged as he left the closet and went back towards the window in some vain hope of finding valuable information. Unlikely. He heard Miles following him.

"Shouldn't you be in the closet?" Drew asked.

"I've never been one to wait in the closet." Miles said, and then blushed at the unintended meaning of his words. "Not what I meant. I face things head on, and I want to face this. Let's keep the two of them safe, but you and I should work together to figure this out."

"I agree," Drew said. "We have to figure out what to do, or at least wait this out. Whatever this is, shouldn't it end when the sun comes back up?"

"I don't know. But I do know one thing. You saw it, whatever it is. Tell me what you saw."

Drew closed his eyes as a shudder tore through him. "I saw nothing."

Miles chuckled. "You're an awful liar. Take it from a pro. I saw you out in the hallway. You collapsed against the wall next to the overlook. You were afraid – no, terrified, really. I saw it in your eyes, too."

Miles reached forward to turn Drew's face towards his.

"Your face has been different since then. Usually, you look happy, maybe even cute, but now you look uncertain and afraid."

"Yes," Drew said. "And thanks for thinking I'm cute. I guess. Sure you're not gay, Miles? You've walked yourself into that twice now."

Miles scoffed.

"Anyway," Drew continued. "You're right. I did see…. Something." He sighed and shook his head. "It wasn't natural. It's like outside right now. Look out there. I recognize it all, but it just feels all wrong. The creature wasn't human, but it looked like it. Though, more alien."

Miles nodded. "I can imagine that. You're right. It just feels wrong outside, and I know my home better than you. Tell me more about what you saw. If this is anything like the horror movies, we may need to face it."

Drew shivered and tightened the blanket he wore around his body. "People die in horror movies… and the thing I saw can kill."

Miles nodded grimly. "Go on."

Drew closed his eyes and tried to recall the scant image of the monster he saw. "It was about our height. A solid build. I don't think it was wearing clothes, just gross, grey skin. More monster from hell than alien, if I had to guess. Its hands were like claws, though still uh… handy, and it had chains hanging from them, but it looked more like the chains were a part of him. The face was…" His stomach turned at the thought. "I can't even describe it, and I don't want to."

"I see," Miles acknowledged. "And are you okay? I see how you're being strong for the twins, and hey, even for me, and I'm grateful. Maybe you aren't so bad. You and I have to stay strong for them. We're going to need to work together if this… demon is to be stopped. Or at least to survive."

"I agree," Drew said. "And you aren't so bad yourself." He held out his hand. "To teamwork?"

Miles took his offered hand.

They were sharing a smile when they heard a gasp, and as one they dashed to the closet to check on the twins. They didn't have to ask what was wrong as they entered the closet. There was a rattling on the floor, and Drew's heart thumped as he realized it was the Ouija board. It was jittering spontaneously on the floor as if it were dancing.

"It just started doing that all the sudden," Hunter sputtered.

Drew watched as Miles approached it slowly before kneeling down and pressing it flat against the floor with his fingers.

"I can feel it," Miles muttered. "It's still vibrating, like it wants to tell us something. Hunter, do you still have the reader thingy?"

"Y-yeah," Hunter said as he fumbled through his blanket for the object. He placed his hand on it over the board, his trembling hand amplified by its supernatural vibrations.

Hunter yelped as his hand starting moving at the speed of light. Drew couldn't help but shiver at the thought. It had been disconcerting to feel his hand move along with the others down in the living room. However, those movements had been slow enough that he could almost have convinced himself that he had been moving his hand himself. But this was different. He could see it in Hunter's eyes. It was overtaking his movements and he was terrified.

"What does it say?" Frankie asked.

"D-Drew, it's me. It's said that three times now."

"Is it your brother?" Miles asked.

"Adam? Yeah," Drew muttered. "It has to be." His lips trembled at his words. "A-Adam, I'm here. Are you okay?"

Hunter's hand began to move again. "Stay. Clam," he read as he put the letters together. "Be. Quiet. Don't. Let. It," Hunter murmured, then inhaled as his hand rushed so fast across the board that the wood began to burn the bare skin of his palm.

"Hunter, what is it saying," Miles cried.

"I-I don't know. It's too fast. I. D. E. What? D.I.E. Die! It's telling us to die," Hunter cried out as he let go. He gripped his wrist with his other hand, and they all watched in horror as it kept moving. "Die. Die. It keeps saying 'die'."

Every part of Drew's body tingled. Die. They were going to die. It was that monster. He just knew it was that monster. The monster was evil – whatever that meant exactly - and it was able to talk to him just like Adam, if that even was Adam in the first place. It could be the monster playing with him, but for now he would listen to his heart and believe that Adam was all right and watching over him.

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

They all froze as they heard the thumping resonate throughout the house.

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

Footsteps. It had to be the footsteps of something massive. Again, the monster was invading in on him. Thoughts of the creature had been eating at and devouring him ever since he saw it, and it was interfering between him and Adam. Now it was taunting them with footsteps. It knew where they were the whole time. Drew's heart clenched at the thought of it finding them.

He looked to the others, the twins still on the floor and Miles now close by them, though whether Miles was there for his own comfort or that of the twins was less clear.

 _Thump. Thump._

 _Ching._

Drew felt bile rise in his throat at the new sound. It was near, and from the looks on his charges' faces, he knew they thought it was outside the door as well. A part of him expected it to start pounding like it had on the front door, but it didn't. Instead, it rubbed against the door, or something, as he could only hear the sound of friction against the door. A moment later the chain clinked again and the thumping continued.

"Do you think it left?" Miles asked.

Drew nodded. "I think so. The steps are getting quieter, if just slightly."

"What is it?" Frankie asked.

"I can't even begin to say," Drew said. "But… I think it goes beyond saying that whatever is going on isn't normal. I just… never heard about anything like this outside of movies."

"Movies," Miles muttered, but for once, his complaining seemed to be of wonder rather than spite.

"Movies!" Hunter exclaimed. "We need to use movie logic rather than real life knowledge. Games too! Stop me now if you don't agree."

Drew shrugged. "It is our best bet, even if only to brainstorm."

Hunter took a deep breath. "So, think about it. We used a Ouija board to speak to the dead, and now weird things are happening. And outside… well, we're in a different world. I postulate that…"

"Postulate?" Drew questioned.

Hunter frowned. "I have an idea," he said plainly.

"The smart one, got it," Drew muttered, blushing as all of the Hollingsworths shared a sigh.

"Anyway," Hunter continued. "I think that our ritual transported us to another world. It looks dark and creepy outside, perhaps even evil, though I don't feel that is accurate. We were reaching through to communicate with the dead, but what if we were pulled through too. But we aren't dead… I hope. Let's assume that we aren't. We aren't dead, so we are between the realm of the dead and the living, meaning we are stuck in the realm of the undead. Outside is more or less what I thought it would look like in such a place, though to be honest, I had never given it much though."

"That all makes sense, I guess," Drew said.

"Agreed. It's probably not entirely accurate. It is, however, a good working basis for now," Miles chimed in.

"I agree with Hunter," Frankie said. "I have never heard him speak so much, so this must be true."

Hunter blushed.

"So, we know the situation now," Drew stated. "But what do we do with this information?"

Hunter locked eyes with him. "Can we assume that whatever is stalking us out there is an undead?"

"Why the hell not?" Drew exclaimed. "It is as good a bet as any. It's not human, by any means… I'm not sure it ever was though."

Hunter nodded. "If it is undead, theoretically, it should be weak to fire."

"Got it," Miles said, letting a thick, satisfied breath exhale through his nose. He brandished his lighter. "We have this and the candles to use as bombs of sorts."

"Good, but if it is not undead, this knowledge is useless for survival. Though it may help us find a way back to our world," Drew said, followed by a nervous gulp. The Ouija board began to rattle again and the letters began to glow and vibrate almost as if it were being pulled in a hundred directions at once. Then it shattered, but not really. Drew was amazed. It reminded him of special effects of multi-dimensional sci-fi, but that couldn't be. This was reality. One version of the Ouija board was still present, the other was a phantom that broke into infinity and spread across the closet. The letters traversed the floor like insects, and Drew struggled to follow them with his eyes.

"Oh my god," Frankie cried. Drew's eyes followed hers to the letters that had gathered on the wall.

 _Submit._

"Submit? Is it talking to us? What does it want?" Frankie wondered.

"I would guess it wants us to submit to it," Miles said drolly. "Does it want to kill us? Or make us undead like it? Hunter?"

"I don't know," Hunter mumbled. "Everything is fantasy to our knowledge, but this is real. For all we know, the fantasy we discussed is based on reality like this, and people made fiction to talk about it. People say that is what happened with Lovecraft. We just have no way to know the reality from the fiction."

Drew sighed. "This is a bit mind boggling."

Miles gave him a tap. "Just exercise that brain of yours a little bit, it'll feel good eventually. Basically, all our information may be useless."

"Got it."

"I hate to say it, but we need to go investigate," Miles said. He looked to Hunter and Frankie. "You two stay here, and don't argue. Drew and I are going to go out and see what we can learn about this monster. Yell if the monster comes for you."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Drew agreed. "The letters from the Ouija board spread everywhere. Maybe a message from Adam can be found somewhere in the house."

"You two, just stay calm," Miles said again to the twins. "We'll try to find some food in the kitchen… it seems as if everything in the house was unaffected when we were pulled through."

Drew signaled to Miles and led the way out of the room. The room was now slightly illuminated by the golden glow of the letters. Not enough to give him vision, but enough where he couldn't ignore the splattering of golden light.

He would have to get used to that, so he forced himself to push it aside. "So, should we undo the barricade real quick and peek out? If the ghost is clear, we can call the twins to come and re-barricade the door."

"No," Miles said. "First of all, the phrase is 'the coast is clear.' Second, that is too complicated, and we risk letting that thing in here. We also have no way to quickly get back into the room. We would have to shout out to the twins to open the door, and we don't want to draw that things attention."

"I take it you have a plan then?" Drew asked, mildly annoyed. It was good that Miles had gotten his confidence back, but it was less than fortunate that he had decided to return to his petty comments.

"Don't I always? You have a lot to learn about me," Miles divulged. "We'll climb out the window. Should be exciting, don't you think? Since you've been staring out the window so much and all. There is a small ledge out there large enough to stand on and scoot over to the balcony. It's not as bad as it sounds, honest. I've snuck out plenty of times."

Drew placed his palm on the window, and impossibly, it had somehow become colder. The thought of having to go outside chilled him.

"You know," Drew said, "I'm not overly fond of going outside in _that_ , but we have no choice. Maybe the very act of going outside will give us some information about what is going on."

Miles hummed his agreement and signaled for Drew to open the window. Drew gulped, half expecting the cold air to rush in and strangle the soul out of his body. It didn't. The air outside wasn't cold at all, but as he pushed his hand out, it was like putting his hand in a bucket of ice. This type of cold wasn't a cold that he was used to. It was different. He knew from science that cold was the absence of heat. This cold was that as well, and so much less. It was the absence of life and nature itself. It was like space.

It was death.

He pulled his hand back into the room. "I don't think that it will hurt us, but I would prefer not to be out there for long. It feels… unnatural."

Miles stuck his head outside the window and took a deep breath through his nose. "Yeah, it does feel wrong. It's like there is nothing there, like breathing is all in my head. No smell of rain or trees, and I can't smell the pool. I can always smell the pool from my window. Maybe we are closer to dead than we thought." He paused for a moment to consider that. "Anyway, follow me and watch your step. I don't want to find out what happens if we die here."

Drew waited as Miles climbed out and followed after Miles was safely on the ledge. The ledge was a little more narrow than Drew would have liked, but he wasn't nearly as concerned with it as the 'air' he was breathing. He was reminded of those weird movies that Adam made him watch. Was this what surreal felt like? He could never understand what Adam meant by it; now he knew this was it. Everything felt like a dream. He was afraid to look behind him to see if any of the black swirls were coming after him like a specter he could never outrun. Instead, he just hugged the wall as he shimmed on after Miles. As soon as Miles was safely over the railing of the balcony, Drew threw his leg over and pulled himself to safety.

"You were right, more or less. Not too bad at all," Drew said as he regained his footing.

"I used to do it every weekend," Miles bragged. He pressed his face against the glass of the double door that led back into the house. "This door leads to the hall with our bedrooms. Hmm, I don't see the monster." He turned around and pointed to the opposite side of the balcony. "A staircase leads down to the pool, in case we need a quick escape and can't climb back to my room. We'll figure out what to do once we're there. Pool house, perhaps? There is that shelf and couch that we can barricade the door with."

"Sounds good," Drew muttered, before pressing his face against the door and looking through the glass to make sure that the hall was clear. He trusted Miles, but it wouldn't hurt to double check. He hadn't expected Miles to be so good at taking charge, but he would take it. Drew knew that he wasn't prepared for this, so it was a good thing that Miles was stepping up.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Miles mutter 'fuck' under his breath. The younger boy began to grab at his arm with one hand as his other grabbed for the door handle.

"What!?" Drew asked, heart racing.

"We have to go, now!" Miles cried as he pulled the door open and pushed Drew in before following and locking the door. He frowned. "I don't think that I have ever locked this door before. Never felt unsafe in my own house…"

Drew took a few huffs as he calmed his breath. "What did you see out there?"

"The pool… there were eyes in the pool. Giant eyes," Miles said with a shake of his head.

Drew's heart was still racing as he gave Miles a pat on his shoulder. He forced his voice to be calm for Miles. "I believe you."

Miles gulped. "At least we're safe from whatever that was. I wonder if they are connected, or two different monsters all together. Anyway, let's get on the move before the one you saw comes after us." With that, Miles lead the way down the hall. He stopped by a door that Drew vaguely recognized as being his room.

Miles brushed his hand over a defaced part of the door. "It's smooth, where that creature brushed up against the door or whatever." The letters on the wall were giving off a faint light, but not enough to see detail. Miles pulled out his lighter and kneeled near the door.

"Looks like acid burns," Drew commented. "You know, random movie knowledge like everything else tonight."

Miles sighed. "So that creature spews or secretes acid, or some shit. Just great. This is some Resident Evil shit."

Drew sighed. "Adam loved those movies. Games too, I think." His thoughts wouldn't stop drifting to Adam. He had heard his voice. He knew it was him, and at least some of what the Ouija board had told them had been from Adam.

"Hey," Miles whispered. "Look at the floor. There are letters everywhere. There, look. There is a line of them, slightly brighter than the rest, leading down the hall. Should we follow?"

"Do you think Adam is trying to lead us somewhere?" Drew wondered aloud. He knew that Miles couldn't possibly know.

"Yeah, maybe. We also know that something else can pretend to be him as well," Miles replied. "I say we follow."

"It is our best bet," Drew agreed.

"If we find that thing, run to the kitchen. We will get food and look for something to use as a weapon. I'm sure we have a grilling lighter somewhere. Plus, I don't want to lead anything back to the twins. Honestly, I'm not sure that leaving the room was the best idea. Worst case, we can lure that thing away from them."

"I suspected as much," Drew muttered. "Let's go with plan A then. It's not like we have any other options."

They crept down the hallway slowly, ears peeled for any sound. The silence was as deafening as the nothingness of outside.

Miles stopped at an open door. "Hunter's room. Mom makes us keep our doors open, so not unusual." He walked to the next door and peeked in. "Same for Frankie."

They continued following the line, and Drew's heart rate picked up as they passed the overlook to the main foyer. He felt his lungs drop as the foyer was empty below, only a broken door on the floor being anything out of the ordinary.

The line continued to the left, and Miles' steps began to slow to a halt.

"What's down here?" Drew asked.

"My parent's room," Miles said as he turned to Drew. "The door is open. They never leave the door open." He paused to lick his lips. "The line is leading in there… I don't think this is your brother's doing."

He began to walk forward again, and Drew put a half-hearted hand forward to stop him before pulling back. Whatever was in that room, they needed to see it.

Drew's stomach turned as he stepped into the doorway. The monster was here, and in some ways, he seemed larger, yet also smaller. He didn't have much time to consider that conundrum as Miles spoke. His words made no sense.

"What are you doing here?"

The creature croaked in response.

"M-Miles… what are you going on about?" Drew asked.

"Dad, why are you back already? You just left."

Drew gripped Miles' shoulder, causing the boy to yelp.

"What gives?" Miles cried.

"Miles, that is not your dad… we need to leave, now!"

The creature took a step forward.

Drew tugged at Miles. "Do you trust me? Like I trusted you out on the balcony?"

Miles' eyes seemed uncertain, but took a step back from the monster. "Yeah."

"Then run with me! You know where we agreed," Drew said as he took off.

A moment of hesitation later, and Drew heard Miles running after him.

There was also a thump behind them, and another.

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

Drew heard a roar that felt so close that it was inside of his head, yet so far that it was at the bottom of an abyss. He fought the urge to collapse to his knees; instead, he dashed down the stairs two-by-two.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Drew still felt winded five minutes later. He had never run so desperately in his life, and now he couldn't stop the rapid, almost painful beating of his heart. His mind couldn't recall the moment that his body realized the sheer terror of the monster upstairs.

He hadn't had the time to calm himself down and breath; instead, he did what he had to do and pulled Miles into the kitchen pantry and shut the door behind him with a huff. They had been halfway through barring the door with a shelf when Drew stopped, realizing the futility of their plan. The door opened outwards. A barricade would do little to stop invasion if it wasn't able to block the door. They would just have to hope that the monster ignored them.

Drew sighed and wiped sweat from his brow. It was outright uncomfortable to be in a state of panic right now. His body felt like it was on fire, but the sheer lack of heat in the air contradicted that, leaving his body in an uncomfortable paradox of homeostasis.

"You okay?" Drew asked Miles after a few moment.

Miles took a few breaths before speaking. "Yeah. Thanks back there. I swear that the monster was my dad. It still had his face the last time I saw it. Frankly," he said slowly, "if not for the roar that it made as we fled, I am not sure that I would know for certain."

"I'm just glad that you believed me," Drew said. "If it took on Adam's face…" The thought chilled him to the core in a way the surrounding air never could. The thought was just wrong. Perverse. But he knew one thing for certain. _I would not have been able to turn away._

"But yeah," Miles added. "Thanks for helping me back there. I don't even want to think what that thing wants with me."

"I'm just glad that you trusted me," Drew expressed again. He half expected Miles to go against him out of spite like he had for the entirety of their relationship, but he hadn't. Miles was a good guy underneath all of his petulance.

He couldn't shake something that Miles said though. 'I don't even want to think about what that thing wants with me.' It was an odd way of wording things, but now that Drew thought about it, it did seem that it was interested in Miles. It took on his father's face, and used the letters of the Ouija board to lure them to it. Did that truly mean that it wanted Miles, or were they giving meaning to a monster that was incapable of thought?

Miles interrupted his pondering. "Of course I trusted you… you've been great, really. None of us would have made it this far without you."

Drew chuckled at Miles' words. "Thanks for the words of encouragement, though it is hardly true. We wouldn't have gotten this far without you. You're the one who thought to barricade us in your room and to hide here in the pantry. You're the one who pushed for us to investigate what is going on. I've just been scared shitless."

"We all have," Miles consoled. "You don't think I'm scared to death right now? Hell, that may be literal considering where we are. The twins are convincing themselves that everything will be okay so that they will not have to face their fears. You and me, we don't have that luxury. We have to figure out what is going on, and if not for you, I would have given up by now. So, yeah, thanks."

Drew could only nod in surprise. "Don't count yourself out, Miles. If not for you, I would have failed just as well."

"Strong together? Or some sappy shit like that," Miles muttered. "But it is not just that. You're a good leader, Drew. You hold people together without even trying, just like you did tonight. People at school say that it is your talent. You lead without trying. On one hand, you are always bumbling around. They say you're a goofy idiot, but they love you. You may not know what you're doing, but you manage to inspire people through your compassion." Miles rolled his eyes. "Sappy shit, definitely."

"It's not that I'm a good leader, but that I have those that I care about and can count on by my side," Drew said. "I'm friends with everyone on my cabinet. I can count on them. I believe everyone wants Degrassi to be a better place, so I believe in our school. Having people by your side is how you get through things, and today, that person is you."

They were sharing a shaky smile – a smile that forgave all of their past grievances – when they heard a voice.

"Miles? Miles!? Where are you?"

It was a girl's voice.

Drew recognized that voice, and slowly forced himself to speak through frozen nerves. "Is that…?"

Miles nodded solemnly. "Yeah, that's Maya… but, I have a strange feeling that it's not."

"Nothing strange about it," Drew muttered. They remained quiet, but they heard no footsteps outside. From their experience in Miles' room, Drew knew they would have ample warning. After a few moments of straining his ears for the faintest of sounds, he decided that they were safe for now.

"Since we're stuck in here, let's find some food. I'm starving." Drew laughed. "Running around will do that I suppose."

Miles' agreement was the illumination of the room with his lighter. Drew blinked to adjust his eyes to the light. He had more or less gotten used to the darkness, but he couldn't deny that he could see much more detail with the new source of light.

"Well, you know where everything is. How about I hold the lighter while you rummage through the food for what we want? What do the twins like?" Drew queried. He was pushing through the boxes of cereal when he realized that Miles hadn't answered in a reasonable time frame.

"You doing okay?"

Miles blinked. "Yeah… I'd just rather keep the lighter to myself."

"Don't trust me?" Drew asked in jest, referencing their previous conversation.

"No, it's not that… it's just…" Miles shook his head uncertainly. "It's special to me. It's my special antique lighter."

Drew studied Miles' face in the flickering light. Was this a time to let the thought drift off into oblivion, or was it a time where Miles just needed someone to ask the question? He would never know unless he took the leap.

"What makes it so special?"

Miles turned to a shelf and started to sift through some boxes of granola bars. "I got it for my eighth birthday," he said quietly.

Drew walked up behind Miles and nabbed a granola bar, waiting and allowing for Miles to speak further if he chose. In the meantime, he unwrapped the foil of his bar and took a bite, not disappointed to find it was a peanut butter and chocolate one.

"You're being quiet, but I've been thinking. Maybe it would be a good idea for me to tell you more," Miles said. He took a deep breath before speaking. Drew was a bit concerned as he heard the shuddering intake of breath, and the break in Miles voice only confirmed that.

"My e-eighth birthday was my last good one," Miles sighed. "Oh, god. I'm about to spill my soul. I'll disgust myself as much as you."

Drew placed his hand on Miles' shoulder. "Spill away. I've spilled worse, I'm sure. Plus, I could never hate you for that. Talking helps."

Miles shrugged his hand off, though not unkindly. "So, yeah, my dad gave me this lighter on my birthday. Typical story. It was his dad's and then my dad gave it to me, his first, _loved_ , son. By the time my next birthday rolled around, my dad was the man you see, and work for, today. A real asshole, isn't he?"

Drew huffed his agreement. He hadn't seen what Miles said about his dad in action, but… "I can definitely see your dad being like that. To be blunt, he always struck me as a bad father."

"You can say that again."

"And, let me guess. You act out to get back at your father?"

Miles was quiet for a moment. "It's hard to feel loved when all you get are insults. No matter what I do, I'm not good enough."

Drew's heart clinched. That was a feeling he was all too familiar with. He struggled with it, even now.

"Everyone keeps telling me to change, to do better. My mom, my siblings, Maya. They all tell me just to do better, but I always do my best and…" Miles words ended in a smothered sob. "No one really likes me for me. Well, except maybe Tristan. Maybe."

"Hey, I like you for you," Drew tried to cheer him up. "Er, rather, I don't dislike you for you. You're an okay guy and all, and I wouldn't want you to change. I know what it's like to feel like you're not wanted."

"Is that so?" Miles asked.

"It is."

"Then maybe we are more alike than I thought," Miles muttered. "Do you ever wonder if you are just a bad seed? My dad always says I am." He closed his eyes. "I said too much."

"You said what you needed to," Drew said. He was really starting to understand Miles better. More than once in the last few hectic years of his life, he had wondered if he was a bad seed, but at least his mother had never given up on him. Miles didn't seemed to have anyone like that in his life. Was Tristan his Bianca? That was a question he didn't feel like Miles was ready to process yet, but for now, he could let Miles know he was there for him.

"I do know how you feel, more than you know. If you ever want to talk, I'm here. The best advice I can give you is to be the best Miles that you can be."

Miles shook his head slowly, as a smile spread across his lips. "Now you're getting sappy. Do you really think I can be a good person?"

"I…" the words died on Drew's lips as they heard the voice again.

"Miles? Help me!" the fake-Maya cried outside.

Miles exhaled through his nose. "I know it's fake, but it still hurts."

"Yeah… hearing the voices of those we love when we know it's not really them is difficult," Drew lamented.

Miles blinked. "You don't think that it was your brother?"

"I don't know," Drew admitted. "It could be. It might not be. Our assumption is that we're in, like, a dead world or something, right?" He looked to Miles for confirmation, who nodded half-heartedly. "We both _know_ that the voice out there isn't Maya. It's just using those we love against us. Adam for me, maybe, and Maya and your dad for you."

Drew paused to look at Miles who was staring absently at the door. Above it, actually. Drew followed his gaze. Towards the living room and above it. To his room, looking through the walls and ceiling at his siblings, hoping that they were okay. _It is using those we love against us_ , Drew thought.

He felt the lightbulb go off in his head like striking lightning. "It is _using_ those we love against us."

Miles looked to him with sudden realization on his face. "Intentionally?" He wondered aloud. He nibbled at his fingernails for a moment. "Yes, yes, it has to be. It wouldn't know anything about Maya unless it… it can read our minds? Or maybe our minds are an open book to it? It could know where we are right now."

"I was starting to think that was a given… it's playing with us, but why?"

Miles gulped. "I think it wants me."

Drew frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"It's trying to get at me. Me in particular. Something tells me that your brother's voice was actually your brother. It feels different from the one out there. I never knew your brother, but his interactions _feel_ warm. Maya's voice… it's like knives stabbing me in the chest."

Now that Miles felt the same thing, he had no doubt that it was Adam who had contacted them. Drew was about to comment on his shared feelings when they heard a new voice outside.

"Milllllllessss," the voice drawled in a deeper tone. It unsettled him, another voice that felt familiar.

"There it goes again," Miles murmured darkly. Drew could see the horror in his eyes.

"You recognize it?" Drew asked.

"Tristan."

"Ahhh. Those you love?" Drew teased.

Miles shrugged. "I love everyone who cares about me."

Drew nodded. Some suspicions were clicking into place, and he wondered if they were all connected? Was Miles gay? A part of him wondered if this was the source of conflict between him and his father, though another part told him that Miles didn't know, or much care, himself.

"So, you were saying that you think it wants you? Why you, and for what?"

"I can't say," Miles said. "Just a feeling…"

He looked like he was going to say more, but didn't.

Miles began to pocket some granola bars. "Take some too, for the twins. Who knows how long we'll be locked up there?" They left it unsaid that if they didn't figure this out soon, hunger would be the least of their concerns.

Miles swept his hand across a shelf to push everything aside. Drew hissed as a few objects hit the floor, hoping that the monster didn't hear. He listened, but heard no sign of movement outside.

"What are you…?" Drew began to asked, but he saw what Miles was looking at. Glowing letters on the wall, behind the boxes they had been rummaging through.

"Don't. Let. It. Win," Miles read out loud, one word at a time. "Don't let it win. Thanks a lot," he said sarcastically. "Your brother, again?"

Drew closed his eyes for a moment and listened to his heart. He knew for a fact that it was Adam. "Yes. I just know it. Don't let it win. On one hand, that was obvious. On the other, he is letting us know that we can win."

Miles nodded gratefully. "We can win. We can live," he muttered.

"So, let's find this lighter and work on a plan," Drew said as he turned away. The far side of the pantry was dim, but was lit enough where he would be able to notice a lighter. A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Wait," Miles said. "There is one more thing we need to talk about."

"Go ahead."

"Th-this is all my fault. I can feel it inside of me. Everything is my fault."

"I don't think that is possible, Miles."

Miles' hand gripped his forearm. "Remember, in the living room, when Hunter pulled out the board and asked if we knew anyone who had died? I suggested Adam."

Drew blinked. "I recall."

"I did that on purpose. To hurt you."

"I know."

Miles half-smirked, though there was no real joy in his upturned lips. "You are smarter than you look. Anyway, I suggested Adam because I was annoyed by you. I wanted to hurt you, so I did. For that, I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," Drew promised. _You gave me a chance to hear from him again._

"Do you get it now?"

"Get what?"

"This is all my fault. I suggested your brother to hurt you. I did a bad thing. A very bad thing. Right before we used a Ouija Board – a real one, as we now know. It wasn't a pathetic piece of plastic, to use Hunter's words."

"And?" Drew wondered.

"And whatever we did worked, but I was a catalyst for something dark. When we reached out to the dead… that thing found me. It found the dark part of me that wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"You're already forgiven."

"You can't forgive me if I you're dead… we might all be dead, because I had to go and do the ugly thing. I always do the ugly thing," Miles sighed. "Maybe they're all right. Maybe I should change. I'm… just a bad seed." Miles inhaled deeply, and Drew could tell from the thick, wet sound of his breathing that the younger boy was holding back tears.

"It is good to change and do better things, but never change who you are. I learned that last year. I thought I was a complete failure… I barely had the will to live after I was left for dead in the street. After Katie, my life felt out of control. I quit school, and turned my back on my mom… but Bianca always had faith in me to be the best Drew that I could be. And I believe you can be the best Miles you can be."

Drew closed his eyes for a moment as he thought back to last year and how afraid he felt. In many ways, it was worse than that monster chasing him.

He opened his eyes. "Just, like, forgive yourself. You did some bad things, you know they're bad, and do better. But you're still Miles."

Miles chuckled. "Pretty sure you just talked yourself into a box, but I'll try. I trust you, and to prove that-" he said as he offered his lighter "—I'm going to lend you my lighter. You hold it while I find the other one."

Drew accepted the lighter and followed Miles to the far part of the pantry where the shelves had dish towels and detergents rather than food. Miles fumbled around for a bit before speaking.

"Nope, nothing."

Drew frowned. "So what now?"

"Time to fall back to my tried-and-true methods. We push our boundaries."

"What do you mean?"

"We push the limits of what we know about the monster. We know that it wants me. Or, rather, I do, and you trust me. But, it is important to note that it hasn't tried to harm us. I can't see it, but according to you, it is scary and physically capable of doing so. I think that it can't. It needs me... it came into our world, or us into its, through the cracks in my soul. The part of me that wanted to hurt you. I think it needs to finish, somehow. Maybe it can hurt me, and your presence protects me?"

"Maybe?" Drew considered. "I'm not letting you face it alone."

Miles snickered. "I didn't count on it. But, anyway, we should leave. If the lighter wasn't in here, it should be in the kitchen somewhere. I don't cook often, but it won't be hard to find. If we don't see the monster, we can sneak back up to the twins."

"And if we do?"

Miles licked his lips and offered his hand out for his lighter. Drew gave it to him as Miles spoke. "We run, and try to gather as much information as we can. We can go to the pool house… I kind of what to get a closer look at what is in the pool. It's the only other _thing_ that we have seen. Plus, the pool house has a shelf we can push in front of the door." He paused to look at the lack of a barricade at the pantry door. "Not that we'll need it. We'll have options at least."

"Sounds like plan… you ever consider running for Student Council? We could use a planner guy. That committee is dominated by girls."

Miles shook his head. "Not the time."

"Just trying to lighten the mood," Drew said. "Though, really, it is as good of a plan as we can get." He signaled towards the door with his hand. "You have the lighter. You first."

"Oh, joy," Miles muttered as he pushed the door open and peeked around the kitchen. "Empty."

Drew stepped into the kitchen behind Miles as he led the way around the island. The counter space was the way he left it when he was ordering pizza, four plates and matching cups left derelict. He brushed his fingers over the plates… _I'd kill for pizza right now._

"It should be in one of these drawers," Miles muttered half-heartedly as he opened a drawer. "Hold the lighter for me… never mind, I found it."

Miles had a grin on his face as he passed the new found lighter to Drew. It was one of the typical red grilling lighters that Drew had seen by the dozens throughout his life. He returned Miles' lighter to him, and turned the new lighter in his hand until he had his finger around the button. It felt like holding a gun in a way, and he wondered if he could find some aerosol to turn the lighter into a real weapon.

The sound of a footstep got their attention.

Drew froze as he looked to the kitchen door to find the monster. It was as scary as ever, their newly discussed theories and hopes that it couldn't harm them doing nothing to assuage the terror. Drew slowly raised his lighter in front of him, lit as an insignificant shield. That action only managed to allow him to see more of the creature – the grey skin seemingly more dead and unnatural than it had before, though his mind wasn't to be trusted. Its mouth was small, but something told Drew that would play no role if the creature decided to attack.

Miles was frozen next to him, holding up his lighter in a feeble defense as well.

"What now?" Miles asked.

"You run," Drew said. He meant it as an order, but the words barely came out with any force. He didn't expect Miles to listen.

"I'm not leaving you," Miles retorted. He tone wavered a bit, though Drew knew that Miles wasn't backing down.

"It wants you. You said that… maybe it won't harm me."

"We're not risking that. We'll fight thing," Miles said. His stance strengthened along with his voice. "Together."

Drew was about to reply when the creature roared, ending his words before they could leave his tongue. The creature took a step forward and another. Drew could tell that it wouldn't stop short of them this time.

He looked to Miles who looked ready to fist fight, but Drew didn't want either of them within touching distance of the monster. His eyes traveled the room looking for something to use as a weapon as the monster stepped closer. All he found was the pile of plates that he left out earlier.

He picked two up, and threw one at the monster as he yelled to Miles. "We run – together." He threw the other one at the creature and dashed for the door to the living room. His only confirmation that the plate hit was the meaty thump and the roar that echoed the room.

Miles was barely visible out of the corner of his eyes as he dashed through the living room. Drew barely took a moment to notice that the candles that they had left burning had been snuffed out. He didn't care as he headed towards the door that led to the patio. His hand rested on the door knob for a moment, his survival instinct telling him not to go outside.

He ignored it. They had no choice but to step back out into the nothingness. Hopefully whatever Miles saw in the pool wasn't a threat to them. He pulled the door open before he had a chance to convince himself not to, and more importantly, before the monster could catch up with them.

Drew shot down the patio stairs in three strides, and stopped at the bottom to hear Miles close behind.

"The thing you saw was in the pool, you said?" Drew asked.

"Yeah," Miles exhaled, taking tentative steps towards it.

Drew's eyes widened in horror as he looked into the pool. There was a monster in there. A large gelatinous mess. It reminded him of something between a giant octopus and a very large chunk of translucent jello with arms.

His heart stopped as he sidestepped a slow-moving tentacle as it swung by, suddenly struck with terror at the fact he hadn't seen it until it nearly took his head off. He took a few careful, if speedy, steps back for safety.

"I don't think it really knows we're here," Miles exclaimed. "It has a lot of those tentacles. If it wanted to grab and eat us, it would have."

Drew watched as Miles paused, though he could see the ideas churning in Miles' minds.

"I think…" he said uncertainly. He shook his head as he found his voice. "I think it is the brain. The human brain is kind of like jelly. And it's a tentacle monster. Isn't that always the brain of the operation?"

"If you say so," Drew said. "Kill this and we get out of here?"

"Who knows? But we should try to find a way to kill it anyway," Miles said. He eyed the lighter in his hand uncertainly. "Fire?"

"Maybe… One of our earliest ideas was that the monster wouldn't like fire," Drew agreed. He was going to say more, but he heard a crash behind him. He looked up to the patio to find that the creature had broken through the living room door.

"The pool house," Miles cried. "That will buy us some time. I have an idea anyway." He darted off, and Drew followed him quickly.

They shut the door to the pool house and pushed the shelf in front of the door. It seemed like a good idea at first, but with the ease that they moved the shelf, it was unlikely to hold the creature out for long if it really wanted in.

"That will buy us like a minute," Drew huffed. He took a breath. "What was your idea?"

"The pool house has all sorts of pool stuff, obviously. Towels, Frankie's tanning oils, cleaning chemicals, and other shit I'm sure. You see where I'm going with this?"

"Uhhh, not really," Drew admitted. "Though I realize we can weaponize all of that."

"Exactly," Miles said. "We…"

His words were interrupted as they heard a crash at the door as the creature rammed it. The shelf that blocked the door moved an inch forward.

"Not good," Drew said. "And I'm getting really tired of that thing interrupting us. It's like it knows we're talking about how to take it down."

"Or it just wants to eat us," Miles suggested. "So let's kill it first." He grabbed two towels from a shelf on the opposite wall, and dug out a bottle of tanning oil from a drawer. He dropped to his knees and spread the towels flat on the floor before emptying the bottle's contents on the towels. He spread the fluid out with his hands and kneaded them to make sure they were soaked, leaving a small portion on the edge clear of oil.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked. The monster banged again.

"Practicing my oil massages," Miles replied sarcastically. He picked up the towels up by their unsoiled portions. "Take them. My hands are covered in oil, so I can't light them. Plus, you have the longer lighter."

Drew took them both into his left hand as the monster hit the door again, this time accompanied by a roar. It banged again immediately after and they heard a crack in the wood.

"We don't have much time," Drew said.

"No," Miles agreed. "New addition to the plan. We're going to remove the shelf and let it in. Then you'll light one of the towels and throw it on him as I knock the shelf over. Then we throw some fire at the thing in the pool and run back to my room."

Drew didn't have time to agree as the monster cracked another layer of wood. "Let's do this while there is still a shelf left." He put the lighter in his rear pocket as they dashed towards the door.

"On the next crash," Miles said, "we move the shelf. We'll let it back us into the room a bit, and you'll throw the flaming towel on it, then we'll tilt the shelf and run like hell."

Another crash and the sound of splintered wood dug at their ears.

"Got it," Drew groaned as he helped Miles pull the shelf out of the way.

This time when the monster crashed into the door, what was left of it shattered into pieces much like the front door. They backed into the room to lure the creature far enough away from the door so that they could run around it.

Drew gulped as he retrieved the lighter from his pocket and carefully lit one of the towels. The flame slowly traveled up the towels as he returned the lighter to his pocket. He moved the flaming towel to his other hand before it could ignite the other one. The creature stopped for a moment, and Drew took that as his opportunity.

"Now, Miles!" he said, and threw the towel at the creature's face. He didn't have time to see it hit, but from the monstrous roar it let out, he knew it hurt. He met eyes with Miles as they tilted the shelf over, and savored the crunchy thump as the creature was knocked to the ground.

Miles dashed out the door first, and turned around to yell at Drew. "The tentacle monster!"

Drew was one step ahead of him as he was already retrieving the lighter from his pocket and setting the remaining towel aflame. His shoulders shot up into the back of his neck as he heard the creature they left in the pool house roar and the crash of the shelf as it shattered against the wall. He resisted the urge to turn around. Instead, he watched as the flames climbed the towel slowly. It was the warmth in this icy, dead world that may just save them.

He approached the pool and peered over the ledge into the gelatinous mess. He held the towel over the mass, and right as the flames were about to lick his fingers, he dropped it.

He was already running for the stairs that led to the upper balcony when the most ear splitting cacophony he had ever heard shook the world. There was a crash behind him, and he couldn't resist the urge to look down at the pool from the top of the stairs. The creature was thrashing, his tentacles hitting the pavement with enough force to crack the concrete. Another roar sounded as the monster stepped out of the pool house. It roared again as it saw him, and suddenly, Drew knew they were in trouble.

It wanted to hurt them. It always had, though in a reserved, calculated sort of way. Now it wanted to rip them limb from limb.

"Run!" Drew hollered over his shoulder as he led the way down the balcony. He threw himself over the railing and onto the ledge that would lead them to Miles' window. His heart reached a painful stop as he heard a shatter of glass and metal. He turned around to see that the creature had jumped up to the balcony, and was mere feet from Miles.

"Miles!"

Miles was halfway over the railing as the creature grabbed him. The boy yelped as Drew reached out for him.

"Take my hand!" Drew yelled as he reached out for Miles.

Miles tried, but couldn't get a grip as his hand was still slippery from the oil. "I can't!" he cried.

"Jump!" Drew yelled. _Jump! Jump! Anything is better than that thing getting you._

"I…" Miles words were cut short as the creature threw him into the wall before burying whatever passed for a monster fist into the boy's stomach.

"Miles!" Drew cried. He winced at the sound of cracking wood, and wanted more than anything to climb back over the railings to help him as Miles fell to his knees coughing. "Get up, Miles!"

Miles was struggling to his feet as the monster picked him up again and slammed him into a pillar. He didn't get up.

"Miles…" Drew whispered in horror. He watched intently as the monster ignored him and picked Miles up from the ground by his feet and dragged him into the second floor hall.

Drew wiped a solitary tear from his face as he climbed into Miles' room. He found the twins huddled in the doorway to the closet, fear stitched across their faces.

"I'm sorry. It took him."

There was nothing else to say.


	4. Chapter 4

I uploaded this on a03 but not ff.n back in November. Oops.

* * *

 **Part 4**

Not even when he was left bloody in the street did Drew feel so worthless. He had seen Miles right in front of him, nearly in his fingertips even, but he couldn't save him. The world they were trapped in was something else, something far outside of his level of control or understanding.

He kept his face turned away from the twins so they wouldn't see, not wanting to let on how distraught he was. He had to pretend to have hope, if just for them. He threw his head back on Miles' bed and let his eyes fall closed. There was no saving Miles at this point. They would just have to hope that the monster didn't kill him. Hope that they had some way out of this mess. Hope. Hope.

Hope was a thing that he had none of.

 _I can't do this again. I can't lose someone that I care about. Adam… I won't lose anyone else, even if I die trying._

He wasn't sure if he fell asleep or not, and didn't much care. Time was an illusion in this world. Whether they lived and died wasn't a matter of when, but if. He hoped the crashes he heard below him were an illusion too.

Drew sat up in bed feeling rested, but perhaps his body was an illusion as well. Nothing felt right here. He pushed himself to his feet as he heard whisperings from the closet.

"How are you two holding up?" he asked as he walked toward the closet. He noticed the granola wrappers on the floor, so at least they had eaten something. Good thing Miles thought to make him pocket some for them.

Frankie looked up to him as he entered. "You're awake."

Drew chuckled. "If I am, I don't remember falling asleep." _I guess that applies to this world too. It's like we fell into a waking nightmare._

"Are you ready?" Hunter asked.

"Huh?"

"To go save Miles."

"I would love to, but we are as lost as we were when this all started, but now, without Miles."

"We have to figure out something," Frankie muttered.

" _I_ have to do something," Drew corrected. "You two are staying here."

Frankie shook her head. "I am tired of doing nothing…" She didn't finish her sentence. "We have to try something. Sitting up here is useless. That _thing_ could be eating Miles for all we know." Her voice teetered on breaking.

"And what if I say no?" Drew held up his hand to stop a retort. "That won't work, I know. You are Miles' siblings after all. Stubborn to a fault, but also your greatest strength. So, prove to me that you are prepared to rescue Miles." He left it unsaid that he didn't think there was any guarantee that Miles was alive.

The thought made him sad again. Stronger together. They had really bonded for a moment there, and now it felt like he was missing an important person in his life.

His thoughts were interrupted as Frankie spoke after a moment of silence. "We ruled out reversing all of this already. Hunter tried for a while to get the board to react again, but nothing."

"Yeah," Hunter said. "It is like we are missing a catalyst or something. A catalyst is…"

"I know what a catalyst is," Drew interjected. _And I know why it didn't work for you. Miles was the catalyst for all of this. Without him, that board may very well be dead… Miles brought something into our world. Or us to its._

He chose not to explain how Miles was the origin of this evil. They needn't know the depths of a soul. Instead, he conferred what mattered.

"I don't think that we can just reverse whatever this monster is. It is here for a reason. We have to find a way to defeat it." _And maybe only Miles can do that._

"Defeat it?" Hunter questioned. "We have some more ideas, but first, tell us what you know. You and Miles were out there for what felt like days. What else did you find out?"

Drew looked to Frankie who was nodding her agreement. He had already decided not to tell them about Miles, but their heart to heart had been the majority of what they had discovered. Even that was little more than conjecture.

Stronger together. He couldn't get that thought out of his head. He and Miles were a team, but now he was alone. _Can I trust the twins? Do I have a choice if we are to survive? Maybe they have enough of Miles in them for this to work?_

"Earth to Drew," Frankie said with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, sorry," Drew muttered.

"Who'd think he'd get lost in his thoughts," Hunter grumbled.

Definitely enough Miles for this to work out.

What was the question, though? What else had he and Miles found out? What could he tell them without divulging Miles' insecurities? _We saw it in Mr. H's room. Then it chased us a few times. And the pool. And fire!_

"We didn't learn much," Drew said. "We found it in your parents' room, and it chased us. Several times, in fact. It seems to have a particular interest in Miles. It _intentionally_ took him. I was barely chopped liver to it. There was another _thing_ outside as well. It had tentacles, and seemed connected to the other one."

"Like the brain?" Hunter asked.

Drew nodded. "Miles thought the same. The only other piece of information that I can think of is that fire seemed to hurt it. Enough to send it on a rampage… or maybe we strengthened it, and that was why it suddenly went after us full force."

"Rampage?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah. It had been getting more agitated for a while. I think it knew we were figuring out how to beat it... so maybe we were on to something. But after the fire, it became furious. More a monster than it ever had been before. It really wanted to hurt us. It ran and jumped, rather than stalked us like some serial killer in a movie. It threw Miles at a wall. He wasn't moving much afterward as it dragged Miles into the house."

Hunter gulped. "We heard the sound through the wall. We t-think he's okay. Do you?"

"We have to hope," Drew replied. He took a breath and took a leap of faith for the group. "We need to head out. Confront the monster together, and hope we can do something. We may... die, but we are for sure dead if we do nothing at all."

Frankie and Hunter shared a look. "Agreed," the said together.

"Anything to save Miles," Frankie said. "Hunter, what was the idea that you were talking about?"

Hunter looked uncertain as he spoke. "We need to go back to where we did the ceremony earlier and repeat it."

Drew nodded. "As good an idea as any, I suppose." He gulped. "This is a final decision. We'll want to take the barricade down, and once we do, there's no stopping that thing, not that it would likely work anyway. I still don't know why it is ignoring us..." He shook his head. "Anyway, let's take the stuff down."

Drew led the process of removing the barricade, first taking off the chair and handing it to whichever twin was nearby, and then the small shelf to the other. He sighed as he began to remove the desk from the doorway, knowing that if the monster was out there that they were dead. He pushed those fears aside though. They had no choice. They were at their last chance.

He kept his body at the ready as he led the way down the hallway and staircase, though he neither saw nor felt the presence of the monster upstairs. The twins gasped as they entered the living room to find it completely ransacked with the couch turned on its side blocking the broken patio door, a chair flung into the kitchen, and the coffee table upside. Drew gulped, unable to decide if the room was torn into chaos as the monster chased them outside earlier, or if this room was made a mess after it dragged Miles off. Drew didn't want to think about whatever torture that the creature might do, or why it might do it. In a way, it did confirm that the crashes he heard weren't necessarily his imagination.

Frankie grabbed at his arm, and he turned to see that the twins had turned the coffee table right side up. Hunter was already on his knees, setting the table up to the best of his ability. Drew pulled out the lighter and dropped to his knees to start lightning the candles that Hunter was spreading around the table.

Everything felt wrong to Drew. He was lost in his thoughts and just going through the motions. It felt like his body and mind were floating in nothingness, but at the same time it felt like it wasn't his body. He shook his head furiously to try to focus back on reality. His mind kept going to his dad, his real one, not Omar. The one he hadn't seen since he was six. Why would he think back to the man who wanted nothing to do with him?

He awoke with a shock to meet Hunter's eyes staring intently into him. The younger boy gulped. "It is probably best that you call out to Adam again… it is our best bet."

Drew nodded hesitantly as he steadied himself on the table. "Have we seen any sign of the monster? I was out of it for a second… maybe it was getting to me?"

"No, no," Frankie murmured hurriedly. "We haven't seen any sign of it. As for if it is 'getting to you'… let's just hurry up and get this over with."

"Same as last time," Hunter said. "Call out to Adam."

Drew laughed, the sudden movement doing little to help with how dizzy he was. "I barely remember last time, but I'll do my best."

He settled on his knees and placed his hand over the reader, trying to shake off all the random thoughts in his head. Why was he thinking about his dad? Hunter and Frankie followed his lead in placing their hands on his. The physical contact did the world to remind him that he was in his body. "Adam, you out there?"

"No," Hunter groaned. "You have to…"

Drew cut him off as he repeated the question. "Adam, are you out that?" This wasn't a matter of ritual. Adam was out there and wanted to help, but he was being blocked somehow. Drew eyed the twins nervously, wondering if he would be able to defend them if the monster attacked. Likely not. He just had to hope this would work.

"Adam, are you out there?"

For a moment, a mere moment, Drew thought he felt something guiding his hand, but nothing happened. "I can feel him," he murmured. "I can feel Adam, but it is like he is being blocked somehow.

 _Let me…_

Drew ripped his hand away from the Ouija board. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Hunter asked. "You shouldn't hear voices?"

Drew frowned. Only he heard that. Was it Adam? It sounded almost like Miles?

 _It has to be…_

The words were cut off as he heard a scream from outside.

"Miles!" the twins screamed in unison.

The scream was Miles. The voice in his head was Miles? How? It was a question that Drew could only hope that they lived to ask. He followed the twins who were peeking over the couch to the patio and pool below.

 _This is bad_ , Drew thought. _The thing in the pool might have Miles. There isn't anything we can really do now…_

The monster stood like a lumbering giant on the cracked pavement, staring down into the pool. Drew's eyes followed the creature's gaze to find Miles in the tentacle monster's grasp. The tentacle was wrapped around him like a snake, and thinking about the suckers gripping or impaling into Miles' skin made him feel sick.

Was Miles even going to live? There was reddish goo all over Miles and the tentacle. Drew could only hope that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him and the goo was there earlier. If it were blood…

"What are we going to do?" Frankie asked.

Drew held up a hand to silence her. He had to think. Miles has spoken to him. _Let me… It has to be…_ It had to be Miles. He had been thinking for a while now that the solution to all of this rested on Miles' shoulders and that the monsters were preventing it, but how and for what? Maybe even the voice that he had heard was an illusion.

No, Miles had cried out the last time he had tried to communicate. They had to save Miles. Everything relied on Miles.

Drew stood up and climbed over the couch. "I'm going to save Miles." Panic shot through him as he shoes hit the concrete of the patio. The monster didn't take its eyes off Miles.

"How?" Hunter asked from behind the couch.

"No idea," Drew said plainly as he hid behind a pillar to get a closer look at the pool. It was like watching some weird, alien ritual. He made no effort to stop the twins as he heard them coming up behind him. Maybe their dose of Miles' stubbornness would be the thing that saved them.

The monster turned toward them as they were walking down the stairs. Drew gulped. He and the twins were more bodies than just him and Miles, but in an odd way, he felt weaker. He threw the thought aside. There was no time to think about weakness. They had to do something.

He heard a crunch under his feet and looked down to find Miles' lighter. _How did this get here?_ It was a sign at least. A sign that Miles was important in all of this. He reached down to pick it up and brush it off as the creature stepped forward slowly.

He held out the lighter for whichever twin wanted it to grab it. "Fire is our best bet right now. There is some tanning oil in the pool house-"

Hunter cut his words off. "Got it."

"I know where it is," Frankie added.

"I'll try to distract the monster, or something, I don't know. But when I do, run to the pool house."

"I'll make a bomb!" Hunter exclaimed.

"Hunter!" Frankie cried.

"No, that's a good, no, a great idea," Drew said. "Sooner than later, the monster is like five feet from us."

The twins sobered up. Five feet may have been an exaggeration on his part, but the monster was pretty fucking close. If it decide to dash for them like it had after he threw the fire in the pool, they were done for.

"I'm going to like… uh, jump it. You two run around into the pool house. Got it?"

"Got it!" Hunter answered for them.

Drew didn't spare a glance at Frankie, trusting that she would follow her brother. He took a nervous step toward the monster, and allowed his muscle memory to take over. He regretted his time as an MMA fighter, primarily due to the depths of self that he had reached, but he always knew it was nice to have that safety line to fall back on. It was why he had learned how to fight initially.

Now was a time where he knew that there was some good from his darkest times.

He ran at the monster in a flying kick, hitting it in the chest will full force. The creature stumbled as Drew fell to the ground. Drew caught himself on his shoulder and quickly rose to his feet. He noted that the twins had snuck past the monster while stumbling, and trusted them to do their part of the bargain.

The monster was walking towards him again, already having regained his footing. Drew gulped, keeping himself light on his feet in case the monster lunged once agitated. If Hunter was as smart as he thought he was, he would have created some variety of a Molotov cocktail. Or something. Anything was good at this point.

Drew ran at the creature again, a foot flying for the creature's face. Hard, swift hits were his best bet. He had no desire to get into a fist fight with something that could literally rip his body in half if it got a grip.

The monster barely staggered, and as Drew was lifting himself to his feet, the monster warped a massive hand around his sides and launched him into the air. He landed in a mess on the ground, doing his best to catch himself in a roll to reduce the damage to his body. He barely missed hitting the metal handrails of the stairs.

He forced himself to his feet, fighting for breath as the monster slowly stalked towards him. At least he was distracting it from everyone else, because he wasn't going to last much longer. Without a doubt he would lose a hand-to-hand fight, and keeping his distance with kicks wasn't going to work again. He eyed the staircase next to him, wondering if getting the high ground would be useful.

Drew was so focused on the creature and how to take it down, he didn't notice Frankie running up behind it until she stabbed a spike through the beast's chest.

"Take that ugly!" she cried. She turned back to the pool house where Hunter was standing. "Now!"

Drew saw out of the corner of his eyes as Hunter lit his makeshift bomb and threw it into the pool. Whether it was a good idea or not to go for what appeared to be the brain of the action was a question Drew didn't have time to answer as the monster in front of him rose to his feet roaring, and ripped the spike out of his chest. Drew took a moment to notice that the spike was a fire iron that went to the fireplace in the pool house. _They're resourceful_ , he thought, _but it might not be enough to save us_. The poker had no blood on it, and that confirmed what he already suspected. They couldn't kill this creature physically.

The creature roared, enraged like he was earlier. Drew felt his hands trembling. They were about to find out if they had any chance.

His hopes came crashing down as he heard Hunter scream. He looked to see the boy flailing as a tentacle wrapped around him.

"Hunter!" Frankie cried out.

Drew reached down to grab the fire poker, wanting some weapon other than his lighter at the ready. He stood up and began to run towards the pool where Frankie now stood, trying in vain to reach Hunter who was crying and flailing in the air.

He tripped over a crack in the concrete, cursing the tentacle for breaking the ground. He did his best to catch himself with his hand and used the fire iron to propel himself into the air, but he was too late. The walking monster grabbed Frankie, causing her to yell before he threw her into the pool silencing her.

Drew's head was becoming fuzzy, and every noise he heard was so much. He could barely process his own breathing or Hunter's desperate cries for help and his sister's safety. Soon, the boy was dragged under the surface of the pool. There was quiet. Just his breathing, the cracking concrete as the monster approached him, and the voice in his head.

The voice in his head!

 _Run!_

The voice had to be Miles, so Drew trusted it. He had no choice. He heard a scream as he turned around and ran up the stairs to the living room. Miles. Miles screamed every time he communicated. That had to be important.

He would have time to think about that when he had shaken the monster. He knew it was chasing him and he didn't have to look. He could feel it like a reaper breathing on the back of his neck.

He vaulted over the couch that blocked the entrance to the living room, hoping it would slow down the monster at least a little. He didn't look behind him to check for the monster, but he didn't hear the couch flying across the room, so that was a good sign. He took the quickest path to the stairs, taking them in stride, and dashed down the hallway.

 _Left._

Drew froze. Miles spoke to him again. A simple word, but should he trust it? Was Miles seeing through his eyes right now? It was the only real option. He was using the monster's psychic connection to talk with him… and that proved more than anything that he had been right back in the pantry. The monster knew their every move. That explained why it started chasing them more certainly. They had been on to something.

 _Now!_

Drew nodded to himself, putting the pieces together.

Left. There were two doors on the left. Hunter's room and the sunroom, both of which he had never had a reason to enter. The sun room had an exit to the balcony, so at least he couldn't be cornered. He dashed down the hall and entered the room, closing the door behind him. He heard a crash out in the hall. He couldn't help but think that the creature had reused one of his old tricks and jumped straight upstairs, destroying the banister in the overlook.

The sun room wasn't what he expected, though it told him that maybe he and the Hollingsworth's weren't as different as he may have thought. This was the junk room. Half the room was furniture and bookcases pushed up against the wall, with a small seating area where Miles was allowed to have guest in a place that wasn't his room. At least that was what he heard from Frankie at some point.

 _Yeah, neither of my parents ever trusted me_ , Miles murmured in his ear.

Drew's body started with shock. "Can you…" he stopped himself from speaking further and thought at Miles. _Can you talk to me?_

 _Yeah, I think I beat the monster, for now. It can't win over my mind, so I can communicate with you. Stay alive._

 _As if that wasn't already the plan_ , Drew thought, though he wasn't certain that thought would get to Miles if he didn't think it directly at him.

 _It did_ , Miles grumbled. _Hide!_

Drew did as Miles suggested, lifting up a sheet of fabric that was over an old desk and hiding under it. His heart began to race as he heard the door crash in.

 _I think I can talk to you without it hearing me, though DO NOT speak back. These things have known our every thought since I invited them into my heart._

Drew held his tongue and forced his mind to do anything but think of a response. Puppies. Adam. The pain and anguish he felt last year. Anything that wouldn't give his connection to Miles away any more than he already had.

 _It knowns you are in here, but not where. Don't think too much, or it might start picking up where you are. It knows that it can't take over my mind. It will have to kill you before it can truly win. We won't let it._

Drew fought the urge to acknowledge Miles' words. It was painful, but also the least painful thing he had had to do since this nightmare started.

 _I'm becoming more powerful than it. I can read its intent. It has to kill you to crush my spirit. I think I can escape. Just don't die. The bookcase!_

Drew heard another scream from outside, and he knew that he wouldn't be hearing from Miles anytime soon. Maybe he had escaped like he said…

The creature in the room with him roared and began to walk his way.

 _Fuck! I thought too much!_ Drew panicked. He peeked out from under the sheets, hoping that the monster didn't know his exact location. He brushed his hands over the fire poker in his hand. His last weapon.

As he was looking around the room to plot his survival, he saw the bookshelf that Miles had mentioned. It was nearby, filled with old books. If he could turn it over on the creature…

Drew didn't give it another thought as he rose from his cover and pushed at the bookcase with full force. It landed on the creature with a loud crunch, reminiscent of the shelf in the pool house, but much heavier. Drew raised the fire poker and stabbed at the creature's face repeatedly; he didn't stop until the creature had more holes in its face than skin.

The creature didn't stop thrashing, and didn't seem injured at all. Just angry. Incredibly, incredibly angry. Worst yet, there was no blood. Drew didn't think there would be after Frankie stabbed it, but it still shocked him to see the mauled face with no sign of the carnage.

Drew's froze as the monster's face began to reform in front of him. _I've got to get out of here_ , he thought as he sunk the fire iron straight through the monster's head and took off.

He used the door that exited towards the balcony, knowing that heading towards Miles was his only chance. His heart leapt as he heard the sound of coughing from below. Peering over the edge, no longer protected by guardrails from when the monster jumped up here to take Miles, he saw Miles on the ground coughing.

"Miles!" Drew shouted. It took every ounce of willpower to not leap off the balcony, but he couldn't guarantee he would be able to make the jump, particularly with the cracked concrete that would greet him. He dashed down the stairs and knelt down next to Miles, slapping his back to help him cough up whatever red gunk was in the pool.

"Are you going to be okay?" Drew asked.

Miles forced himself to shaky feet. "Well enough to try to save us."

They froze as the monster roared, standing as tall and strong as ever. The fire iron was fused into its head like it had always been there. That made it even more terrifying.

"A-any ideas?" Miles asked.

Drew held a hand on Miles to keep him stable as they backed up a bit. "All I know is that you have to be the one to stop this thing."

Miles nodded, voice solid as he spoke. "I brought that thing to our home. I have to get rid of it." He looked to the twins in the pool.

Drew nodded, knowing Miles was more dedicated to this than anything. That did little to help their immediate situation as the monster stared down at them from above. "We were trying something earlier, but it didn't work," Drew informed him.

"Go on," Miles insisted.

"We have to reverse the ceremony, but it was like we were being blocked. I could feel Adam there, but it was like he lost the ability to help this world. I think we need you."

"And I need you all too," Miles said. He took a deep breath. "We run into the house. I don't think that thing can kill me directly… for a variety of reasons. I don't know about you though."

"I've outrun it this far," Drew muttered as Miles took off. He followed quickly, refusing to turn around to look for the monster. He vaulted over the couch, noticing that the position had moved slightly, though still blocking the door.

"Good, the table is already set up," Miles mumbled as he fell to his knees and placed his hand on the Ouija board. Drew followed his lead.

They made eye contact and started speaking together. "Adam? Are you out there?"

Drew tried to stop his voice from sounding desperate, but he was more afraid than he ever had been. This was truly their last chance. If the monster caught them… where was it?

Drew's body froze as he heard a thumping above him. He looked up to find dust falling from the ceiling. _It's coming through the roof!_

Miles was staring intently at the board. "Adam? Are you out there? Please help? I'm sorry for what I did, I am."

No response short of a faint glow on the board. The only change was the constant thud from above that was getting louder and harder. Drew couldn't help but wonder if the house was about to fall down.

Miles looked up to him with fear-filled eyes. "I'm trying, really."

Drew tightened his grip around Miles' hand. "Just keep trying. See, the board is glowing. We're almost there, Miles. We're going to make it."

Miles closed his eyes in what looked like concentration. "I never wanted any of this," Miles muttered under his breath.

The whole house was shaking. All Drew could do was tighten his grip just a little harder in support.

The ceiling crashed down from above.

Pain shot through Drew's leg when consciousness returned to him. He shook his head, wondering if he had passed out for long. Not likely, as Miles was a few feet away coughing.

The monster was between them.

Drew tried to push himself to his feet, but failed. It was like his legs weren't his own anymore. Or broken, if the pain the wracked his body was any indication.

"Drew?" Miles asked.

The creature turned towards him.

Drew gulped. "I'm alright, but the creature is coming this way."

"I can see that," Miles said slowly, pulling himself to his feet. "Drew. I don't think there is any help coming."

"Yeah, well… I believe in you," Drew said. Then he screamed as the monster stepped on a portion of his leg uncovered by the rubble. He tried to focus on anything to not let Miles know how defeated he felt. He couldn't stop himself from crying out again as the monster stepped on some part of his body that didn't really feel attached anymore.

His eyes found the golden glow of the Ouija board. There was still hope.

Drew closed his eyes, expecting the monster to hurt him again, but a blow never came.

Instead, he heard Miles in a yell. "Get away from him!"

Drew watched as the monster turned to Miles.

"Get away from him," Miles repeated. "It's me you want, _Dad!_ " he spat.

Drew's breath caught in his lungs. Miles was still seeing his dad after all this time.

"I won't let you hurt anyone!" Then Miles picked up the coffee table and threw it at the monster.

Drew put his hand in front of his face to protect him from any debris as the monster shattered the table with a strike.

Miles ran at the creature, adrenaline from picking up the table likely still flowing. "I won't let you hurt anyone! It's me you hate!"

Drew had to admire the display of strength Miles put on, both of body and will, as he faced down a monster he could never understand. A monster that wore his father's face.

The blows were useless though, as the monster didn't move as Miles struck it repeatedly in the chest.

"I won't let those I care about get hurt. I love them. I want to protect them. I don't care what you say. I'm a good kid. I'm a good person."

The creature roared as Miles struck him in the chest again.

Drew never let his eyes leave the action as he struggled to pull the wooden debris off his leg. If he could do something…

There was nothing he could do now. He knew that. He could feel it from Miles who was crying as he struck at the creature.

"I'm not the bad guy. I hate what you do to me. I hate you!" Miles screamed from his heart. "I deserve to be loved!"

The creature roared with a new found fury as Miles' fist sunk into its chest. Miles was as shocked as Drew was, then he screamed, though from pain or something else, Drew couldn't determine.

Miles hand sunk into the creature to his elbow, fear dancing in Miles eyes, though he didn't pull back. Miles was strong. Drew knew that now. He wouldn't wither and fall. He would battle with the monster he summoned. He would destroy it.

The stayed locked like that for what felt like eternity or seconds. Time was an illusion here.

Soon enough it ended as Miles fell to the ground next to Drew. Drew reached over to help him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Miles said as he forced himself to his feet, cradling his arm.

Drew gulped as he saw the bloody mess of his arm, spikes from inside the beast stuck in him like massive acupuncture needles. Drew tried to reach out for Miles, but couldn't due to his leg holding him in place.

Miles ignored his struggle as he approached the monster. "I see you for what you are now. You can't hurt me… or those I love. You're just a monster. You could never exist in a world without monsters, and I won't be the one to let you do it. I'm not a bad seed. I'm good."

The creature roared bloody murder and the world shook around them. This was not like the creature stomping through the ceiling. Instead, it was like an earthquake, the very world under them shifting and collapsing.

Miles turned to him with a smile. His lips looked like he was saying thanks.

It didn't really matter. They had won. Miles had conquered the monster within.

* * *

Drew awoke with a start. He had to force air into his lungs as he looked around the room. Hunter, Frankie and Miles were here too, doing much the same as him. He didn't want to ask himself the question.

"Did we all have the same dream?" Frankie asked.

Drew shivered. "I don't think it was a dream." It was all real. The depths of Miles' soul… and his.

Drew looked at all of them to make sure they were safe. Hunter and Frankie were nervous, though relief was evident on their faces. Miles was looking at him curiously, arms wrapped around himself in a shiver.

They were back in the Hollingsworth's living room. The lights were on, the rain had stopped, and all felt right in the world. Drew pulled his cellphone out. "Technology seems to be working now. It's been about 40 minutes since…"

"Where is the Ouija board?" Hunter cried out.

They all stared in shock at the table, the center piece around which the candles were gathered was missing.

"Probably best we never see it again," Drew stated.

"Yeah," Frankie muttered in agreement.

Drew looked over to Miles who had been silent so far. Was he okay?

They all shot to their feet as the doorbell rang.

Frankie was fighting hyperventilation as she spoke. "Is it happening again?"

Drew blinked in relief, and let his eyes stay close as he took a breath. Was this like last year? How long would it be until he didn't take every sound as a threat of death?

"No," Drew said as he opened his eyes. "It's just the pizza. I'll go get it." He hoped it was just the pizza, but he couldn't help the quivering of his heart.

Breathing was easier as he opened the door and found the pizza guy. He signed for the delivery and jotted down an appropriate tip and carried the too-hot boxes to the kitchen while struggling to carry the 2-liter under his arm. He glanced around the room to find it as clean as ever, no sign of his plate assault on the monster.

He plopped two pieces of pizza down on each of the four plates he set out a lifetime. He shook his head. So much had changed. He couldn't imagine what Miles felt like right now.

It was a slight struggle to carry four plates, but he made do and carried them precariously to the coffee table.

"I hope your mom doesn't mind if we eat in here?"

Frankie shook her head. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

Drew nodded. "There's Pepsi in the kitchen if you-"

Hunter was up and out of the room before could finish his sentence, with Frankie following shortly behind with a wistful shake of her head. Drew smiled. At least they were okay, but Miles hadn't moved much since they woke up.

"You okay?" Drew asked.

Miles sighed. "As okay as I can be… how much do you remember?"

"Everything, I think."

"Yeah," Miles spoke despondently.

"You did good. I knew you could save us all."

"You had no choice."

Drew chuckled. "Changes nothing, really."

Miles put on a half-smirk. "Thanks. For believing in me, I mean."

"Of course. Sometimes a little faith is all we need to be the best we can be. And reach for the stars, or some poetic shit like that."

Miles smiled at the joke. It was a good sign all things considering.

"How about we go to the kitchen and get some drinks?"

Miles shook his head.

"Are you okay?" Drew asked.

Miles was quiet as he unfolded his arms from around himself.

The world froze around Drew, and he had to tell himself that everything was over. This new detail was something that they could handle.

He knelt down next to Miles and stroked his hand down his right forearm. The arm that had been inside the creature. The arm the still bore the scars of the spikes that had embedded in them. Deep red dots like acid welts.

Miles stood up. "I'm going to get a jacket. Keep this between us for now?"

"Yeah, sure," Drew muttered an agreement as he followed Miles into the hallway. "You sure you'll be okay?"

Miles looked into the kitchen to see that the twins were distracted. "Yeah," he promised. "In a way, I knew the scars would never really fade."

"If you need me-" Drew started to say, but Miles cut him off. "I'll protect you. Or if you just need hug, or something."

"I know," Miles replied, tucking his arms in on himself and heading for his room.

Drew stood there and accepted the facts. Their past made them who they were, but at least they had survived to see another day. His stomach twisted as he thought back to all the times he had been reminded of his time lying dead in the street, or how his body had shifted into a MMA stance that he could scarcely remember the name of. The memory of every moment without Adam.

He sighed and shook his head, before grabbing a glass of Pepsi from the kitchen. It was time for pizza.

The scars of the past would live to haunt another day. They always would.


End file.
